The high commissioner for the Maldives has questioned the motives of a website which is calling for holidaymakers to boycott 13 resorts on the islands.
An online group calling itself the Ethical Maldives Alliance has published a list of resorts it wants visitors to avoid, claiming the hotels are guilty of ill-treatment of local and foreign workers, dumping waste at sea, illegal shark fishing and supporting corruption on the islands.
But the campaign group has not provided any proof of the claims made against the resorts and there are no details of who is behind the group on its website.
In a letter to TravelMole following an article last week, Maldives acting high commissioner Hassan Shifau said the resorts targeted seem to have been categorised not on the basis of any practices in their resorts, but on the basis of the alleged links of their owners to the Government of Maldives.
"In a country as small as the Maldives, where tourism is a key industry, it is inevitable that many resort owners will have professional or personal relationships with political party leaders. But, this will be as true for opposition parties as for government parties," he said.
In addition, Shifau said the 13 resorts all belong to either one of only two resort groups.
"With only two resort groups targeted and little information about the identities of those behind the Ethical Maldives Alliance, it is difficult to discern the true intentions and objectives of the website," he added.
"In the absence of any evidence linking resorts to human rights violation, it is perfectly plausible that the website constitutes a targeted smear campaign by business rivals or disgruntled individuals who are exploiting political developments to further their private objectives.
"Alternatively, the website could simply be an outlet to spread groundless allegations about the Government of Maldives in an attempt to undermine parts of the tourism sector for political ends."
The high commissioner said in the last year the Maldives has implemented a ‘significant number of measures’ to promote and preserve human rights in the country.
And he assured visitors that wherever they stay, tourists can look forward to a warm welcome and enjoyable holiday.
